Golf Bags, Golf Bag Top Members, and Golf Bag Top Member Coverings

ABSTRACT

The invention is directed toward golf bags, golf bag top members and golf bag top member coverings. Golf bags typically comprise a top member that defines at least one aperture for receiving at least one golf club. The top member is covered by a flexible covering material to protect clubs from damage during use, transport, and storage. An embodiment of the golf bag top member comprises a peripheral structure and the flexible covering material, wherein the flexible covering material covers at least a portion of the peripheral structure.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed toward golf bags, golf bag top members and golf bag top member coverings. Golf bags typically comprise a top member that defines at least one aperture for receiving at least one golf club. An embodiment of the golf bag top member comprises a peripheral structure and a flexible covering material, wherein the flexible covering material covers at least a portion of the peripheral structure.

BACKGROUND

Golf is a popular game that requires a significant amount of equipment to play including balls, a set of clubs, shoes, tees and a golf bag to organize and protect the equipment. The golf bags are available in many styles and types of bags. Generally, there are at least four different types of golf bags including, but not limited to, cart bags, stand or carry bags, staff or tour bags and travel bags. All golf bags have a top member that provides structural rigidity to the golf bag aperture for receiving the golf clubs and to provide some protection from damage to the golf clubs. Various top members may have more partitioning dividers forming a rigid, grid-like structure for keeping each club separate and organized within the bag, a connector for attaching a stand system, a handle, and/or other accessories.

Golf club manufacturers are constructing golf clubs with increasingly more expensive materials such as, but not limited to, aircraft-grade aluminum, titanium, carbon fiber composites, and other metal alloys. These materials increase the performance of the golf club and make it easier for the average golfer to drive the golf ball farther and with more accuracy to achieve lower scores on a round of golf. As a result, golf clubs are more expensive.

Golf bag top members may be designed to provide some protection against damage to these golf clubs. Most top members comprise at least one partitioning divider that divide the top member into separate compartment to organize and protect the clubs from damaging another club. However, in some cases, the compartments allow the golf clubs to shift back and forth and contact each other, the peripheral structure of the top member, and the partitioning dividers with the possibility of causing nicks, scratches, dents or other damage to the club heads and shafts. Golf clubs using composite shafts are especially susceptible to damage.

To limit the damage to the golf clubs by the golf bag, the peripheral structure of the top member and the partitioning dividers may be covered in a flexible covering material such as, but not limited to, leather, soft cloth or fabric to protect the expensive composite shafts from damage. The flexible covering may be wrapped around the peripheral structure of the top member and/or wrapped around the partitioning dividers. This adds expense to the top members through additional materials and labor required to attach the flexible covering material. The manufacturing process becomes more complicated and expensive for attaching the flexible covering material for top members with many partitioning dividers.

Further, the flexible covering materials must be attached to the golf bag such that the ends do not fray, dangle, or tear and create a pleasing aesthetic to the golf bag. Further, these flexible covering materials tend to interfere with attaching the golf bag top member to the golf bag body.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved top member for a golf bag. In particular, there is a need for a top member that comprises a flexible covering material that is less expensive to attach to the top member and provides protection for golf clubs. There is a further need for a golf bag top member that does not interfere with further assembly of a golf bag.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, the golf bag top member comprises a peripheral structure and a flexible covering material, wherein the flexible covering material covers at least a portion of the peripheral structure of the top member. The peripheral structure may comprise an inner wall and an outer wall. In such an embodiment, the flexible covering material may be inserted in a recess defined by the inner wall and the outer wall, then wrapped around the outer wall and at least a portion of the inner wall.

In another embodiment, the top member may comprise at least one stiffening member attached to the flexible material. The stiffening member may also be inserted in the recess defined by the inner wall and the outer wall to retain the flexible covering material on the peripheral structure as the flexible material is wrapped around the outer wall and the inner wall.

Further embodiments, a golf bag comprises a top collar attached to a flexible enclosure, a top member comprising a peripheral structure, and a flexible covering material inserted between the inner wall and the outer wall of the peripheral structure. The flexible material may be wrapped around the outer wall and at least a portion of the inner wall. The flexible covering material may further comprise at least one stiffening member attached to one end of the flexible material, wherein the stiffening member is inserted between the inner wall and the outer wall. In some embodiments, the flexible covering material partially covers a portion of the peripheral structure and does not cover the outside surface of an inner wall. In some further embodiments of the golf bag, the flexible covering material may not extend between the top collar and an outer surface of the inner wall of the peripheral structure of the top member.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

In describing the invention, it will be understood that a number of components, parts, techniques and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefit and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases, all of the other disclosed embodiments and techniques. Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possible combination of the individual steps in an unnecessary fashion. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the invention and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a stand bag comprising a flexible enclosure and a top member;

FIG. 2 depicts an embodiment of a top member comprising a peripheral structure and partitioning dividers;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a top member partially covered by a flexible covering material;

FIG. 4 depicts a cross-sectional view of a top member partially covered by a flexible covering material and a top collar;

FIG. 4A depicts a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a top member partially covered by a flexible covering material connected to an inner partitioning divider sleeve;

FIG. 5 depicts a cross-sectional view of a top member and a top collar; and

FIG. 6 depicts a flexible covering material and stiffening member that are profiled to match the profile of the peripheral structure of a top member;

FIG. 6A depicts a flexible covering material and stiffening member comprising apertures for receiving partitioning dividers on the top member;

FIG. 6B depicts an embodiment of the top member sub-assembly comprising a top member covered by flexible covering material connected to an inner partitioning divider sleeve.

DESCRIPTION

The invention is directed to golf bags, golf bag top members, golf bag top member sub-assemblies, and coverings for golf bag top members. An embodiment of a typical stand golf bag is shown in FIG. 1. The golf bag 1 comprises golf bag shell 3 forming an enclosure, a top member 10 comprising partitioning dividers for organizing the golf clubs, and bottom member 30 to protect the enclosure from wear. The golf bag 1 may further comprise a stand system 7 including legs 4, a pivot member 5 and a foot 6. The stand system provides two additional legs to hold the bag upright without being held by the user.

Generally, the golf bag shell defines the enclosure for storing and protecting the golf clubs and may comprise pockets, hooks, connectors for a golf bag stand system, connectors for a strap system, and other accessories. The enclosure includes an open end at a top portion of the golf bag shell for receiving golf clubs and other items into the interior of the golf bag shell. The top member 10 is connected to a top portion of the golf bag shell 3. The top portion of the enclosure defines the golf club receiving opening and, typically but not necessarily, the top member provides partitioning dividers dividing the golf club receiving opening for organizing the golf clubs to be carried in the golf bag. The bottom end of the golf bag shell 3 is typically connected to a bottom member 30 to close the bottom end to retain the clubs in the golf bag 1 and prevent wear of the enclosure during use of the golf bag.

Many golf bag shells comprise an enclosure made from a flexible fabric or other flexible material such as nylon, polyester, nylon/polyester blends, ripstop nylon, plastic, leather, synthetic leathers, and woven materials such as cotton, canvas, or woven synthetics. Each of these materials is available in various weights and properties. Golf bag shells, especially golf bag shells for travel bags, may also comprise rigid materials such as, but not limited to, plastics to protect the golf clubs during travel. The golf bag shell 3 may be manufactured and assembled with other components as a golf bag shell sub-assembly. If the golf bag shell is made of a rigid plastic, the golf bag shell may comprise all the connectors and may not further comprise collars.

A top collar 20 (see FIGS. 2, 4, 4A, and 5, for examples) may be attached to the golf bag shell 3 adjacent to the top end of the golf bag shell 3 by any means including, but not limited to, sewing, stitching, rivets, screws, bolts, hook and loop connectors, and/or adhesives, for example. The top collar 20 may define a golf club receiving opening of the golf bag shell 3 or a golf bag shell sub-assembly. The top collar 20 may further comprise connectors 21 capable of connecting the top member 10 or a top member sub-assembly to the golf club shell 3. Embodiments of connectors may be slot 21 and tab 17 connectors (see FIG. 5), for example. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 (also, see FIG. 6B), the top member 10 comprises a tab 17 that may be inserted into a slot 21 on the top collar 20 of the golf bag shell sub-assembly 3.

The connectors on the top collar 20 may be any connector capable of permanently connecting the top member 10 or the bottom member to the golf bag shell 3. The term “permanently”, as used herein, means the connector retains the two components connected during normal use of the golf bag during play and travel. The components may be capable of being separated with the use of sufficient force or tools, in some embodiment, the connectors must be broken to remove the components once the golf bag is assembled. Other embodiments may comprise releasable connectors that allow removing and replacing the bottom members without damage to the components. For example, the bottom member could be removed and replaced to convert a stand bag into a cart bag.

The golf bag top members may vary in shape, color, weight, perimeter shape, number, pattern and/or position of partitioning dividers, handles, cover attachment capabilities, stand system capabilities, accessory attachment capabilities, or other features. In other embodiments, the top members may not comprise a connector but may be attached to the golf bag shell by a separate connector such as, but not limited to, stitching, rivets, hook and loop connectors, or adhesives, for example. The golf bags, golf bag top members, golf bag top member sub-assemblies, and golf bag top member coverings may be a component of a golf bag kit as described in the patent application by the same inventor entitled “Golf Bag Kits” and/or selected as part of a method of selling a golf bag as described in a patent application by the same inventor entitled “Method of Selling Golf Bags and Golf Bag Kits,” for example, both applications incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

An embodiment of a top member 10 attached to a top collar 20 is shown in FIG. 2 without a flexible covering material over the top member. The top member 10 comprises a peripheral structure 11 and partitioning dividers 18 (see FIG. 5, for example). The top member 10 may be connected to a top collar 20 as shown on FIG. 2. The partitioning dividers 18 of the top member 10 define golf club receiving apertures 18 a. The peripheral structure 11 comprises an inner wall 13, an outer wall 12, and a top edge 11 a. The top collar 20 may have the same peripheral shape as the top member 10 or the top collar 20 may be sufficiently flexible to be deformed to conform to the peripheral shape and perimeter size of the top member 10. The top collar 20 may comprise stay receiving members 22.

Cross-sectional views of embodiments of the top member 10 sub-assemblies comprising a flexible covering material 14 are shown in FIGS. 4 and 4A. The flexible covering material may further comprise components for covering the partitioning dividers 18 and/or the peripheral structure 11. In certain embodiments, the flexible covering material 14 extends from recess 19, the outer wall 12 over the top edge 11 a to cover at least a portion of the inner wall 13 of the peripheral structure 11. The exposed end of the flexible covering material 14 may be attached to the inner wall 13 of the peripheral structure 11 by stitching 24 (see FIG. 4), hook and loop connectors such as, for example, VELCRO™, adhesives, rivets, or other means. In other embodiments, the flexible covering material 14 may be wrapped around the peripheral structure 11 of the top member 10 and connected to the inner surface 13 b (shown in FIG. 4) and/or connected to the inner partitioning divider sleeve 50 (shown in FIG. 4A). In other embodiments of a golf bag top member sub-assembly, one side 14 a of a hook and loop connector maybe attached to a surface of the flexible covering material 14 and the other side 30 a of the hook and loop connector may be attached to a portion of an inner partitioning divider sleeve 50.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 3, 4 and 4A, the flexible covering material 14 is connected to at least one stiffening member 16. In certain embodiments, the two ends of the flexible covering material 14 are connected to form a closed shape. The stiffening member 16 is connected to one open end of the flexible covering material 14. As shown, the open end of the flexible covering material 14 may be slid over the inner wall 13 of the top member 10 and the stiffening member 16 is received within the recess 19 defined by the outer wall 12, the top edge 11 a, and the inner wall 13 of the peripheral structure 11 of the top member 10. Embodiments of the stiffening member 16 may be one continuous strip extending substantially the entire length of one edge of the flexible covering material 14 (as shown in FIGS. 6 and 6A) or comprise multiple stiffening components. The stiffening member 16 is capable of retaining the flexible covering material 14 within the recess 19 without additional connectors as the flexible covering material is wrapped around the peripheral structure of the top member. The stiffening member 16 may be retained within the recess since the stiffening member is not flexible enough to sufficiently deform as the flexible material is pulled and wrapped around the peripheral structure. In some embodiments, the height of the stiffening member 16 is greater than the width of the recess 19 between the inner wall 13 and the outer wall 12.

The stiffening member 16 and the flexible covering material 14 may be profiled to match the profile of the peripheral structure of the top member as shown in FIGS. 6 and 6A. In such embodiments, the stiffening member 16 may be placed within the recess 19 to align with the contoured peripheral structure 11 of a top member 10. Top members may be contoured, for example, to provide a taller section for the driver and woods and shorter sections for the irons and putter. For example, the top member 10 shown in FIG. 2 has a profile that is shorter in the front section and taller in the back section. The top edge of the flexible covering material 14 and the stiffening member 16 would have a similar top profile so they are capable of being inserted in the recess defined by the inner wall, outer wall and top edge of the peripheral structure of the top member 10. An embodiment of the profiled flexible covering material 14 and profiled stiffening member 16 are depicted in FIGS. 6 and 6A. The profiled flexible covering materials 14 with stiffening member 16 and profiled stiffening member 16 may be used with the top member 10 of FIG. 2 or similarly profiled top member. In this example, one end of the flexible covering material 14 could be placed within a recess of the peripheral structure at the front section of the top member and wrapped around the top member such that the profiles are matched and the flexible covering material may be secured to the top member. The embodiment of the flexible covering material of FIG. 6 may be used for a top member without partitioning dividers or partitioning dividers that may be connected after assembly of the flexible covering material to the top member, for example.

Another embodiment of a contoured flexible covering material 14 is shown in FIG. 6A. The embodiment of the flexible covering material 14 of FIG. 6A comprises partitioning divider receiving slots 14 c defined by flexible covering material panels 14 b. The left and right ends of the flexible covering material 14 may be connected to form a cylindrical structure. The partitioning divider receiving slots 14 c are aligned with the partitioning dividers 18 of the top member 10 for assembly. The flexible covering material panels 14 b are wrapped around the top member 10 with the flexible covering material panels 14 b are passed through the golf club receiving apertures 18 a. Additional flexible covering material may be wrapped around the partitioning dividers 18 to complete covering the top member.

Embodiments of the flexible covering material comprise a first end inserted into a recess in the top member and a second end may be attached to at least one of the top member, the top collar and/or the partitioning divider. For example, the embodiment of the flexible covering material shown in FIG. 6A comprises at least one hook and loop connector 14 a for connecting the second end of the flexible covering material to another component of the golf bag or top member sub-assembly, such as, but not limited to, an inner partitioning divider sleeve 50 or inner portioning divider panels. In certain embodiments, each of the flexible cover material panels 14 b may comprise a connector such as a hook and loop connector. For example, FIG. 4A depicts an embodiment of a portion of a top member sub-assembly comprising top member 13. The flexible covering material 14 may comprise sufficient number of partitioning divider receiving slots 14 c as there are partitioning divider intersection points with the peripheral structure of the top member. For example, the flexible covering material for covering the peripheral structure of the top member of FIG. 2 would comprise ten partitioning receiving slots 14 c to accommodate the ten partitioning divider intersection points with the peripheral structure 11.

In an assembly as shown in FIG. 4, the flexible covering material 14 covers the outer wall 12, upper surface of the top edge 11 a and at least a portion of an inner surface 13 b of the inner wall 13. In any embodiment, the flexible covering material 14 may be further attached to the inner wall 13 such as by stitching 24, rivets, or adhesive, for example. The flexible covering material 14 may comprise hems and/or binding materials to prevent fraying and tearing, not shown. The flexible covering material 14 covering the top member protects clubs retained in the golf bag from directly contacting the rigid material of peripheral structure 11 that may result in damage to the clubs. The flexible cover material 14 also may also be considered to provide a more aesthetically pleasing finish to the top member 10.

In the embodiments of the top member shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 4A, the flexible covering material 14 does not cover an outer surface 13 a of the inner wall 13 and the recess 19 is not completely filled by the flexible covering material 14 and the stiffening member 16. The embodiment of a top member 10 shown in FIG. 3 is shown connected to the top collar 20 in FIG. 4. As described above, the top member 10 of FIG. 3 comprises a flexible covering material 14, wherein one end of the flexible covering material 14 and the stiffening member 16 are received within a recess 19 defined by the outer wall 12 the top edge 11 a, and the inner wall 13 of the peripheral structure of the top member 10. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the top member 10 is connected to the golf bag shell 3 by a top collar 20. When top collar 20 inserted into the recess 19, the stiffening member and the flexible covering material 14 are further secured within the recess 19 without the necessity of further connectors, though further connectors or adhesives may be used if desired. In other embodiments, the outer surface 13 a may be at least partially covered with flexible covering material 14. Also in this embodiment, the inner surface 23 a of the top collar 20 is not covered with the enclosure 3. The enclosure 3 is attached to at least a portion of the outer surface of the top collar 20. This structure provides an improved fit, easier assembly and aesthetic appearance. In the embodiments shown in the FIGS. 4 and 4A, the inner wall 13 and the top collar are constructed from a plastic with a relatively smooth surface. The top collar 20 may therefore be slid into recess 19 with a limited amount of frictional resistance from the top member 10 and the peripheral structure 11 during assembly of the golf bag.

An embodiment of a method of assembling a golf bag comprises inserting a flexible covering material and a stiffening member into a recess in a top member peripheral structure, wherein the stiffening member is attached to the flexible covering material. The method may further comprise wrapping the flexible covering material around an outer wall of the peripheral structure, over a top edge of the peripheral structure and along an inner wall of the peripheral structure. The flexible covering material may be attached to the inner wall of the peripheral structure. In other embodiments, the flexible covering material is connected to a portion of the enclosure divider system such as an inner partitioning divider sleeve or divider panels. Thus the top member sub-assembly will be connected to a top portion and a bottom portion of the enclosure 3. The intermediate member 40 may further comprise stay receiving members 40 b. The intermediate member 40 may be connected to the inner partitioning divider sleeve 50. The embodiment shown in FIG. 6B the inner partitioning divider sleeve 50 is connected to the intermediate member 40 by connecting straps 41. The connecting straps 41 may be elastic material to facilitate connecting the intermediate member 40 to the golf bag.

An embodiment of a top member sub-assembly 60 is shown in FIG. 6B. The top member sub-assembly 60 comprises a top member 10 wrapped with a flexible covering material 14. The inner wall 13 and the tab connectors 17 are not covered by the flexible covering material 14. A connecting portion 14 d of the flexible covering material 14 extends around the inner wall. The connecting portion 14 d comprises connectors, such as, but not limited to, the hook and loop connectors 14 a or stitching, for connecting the inner partitioning divider sleeve 50 to the flexible covering material 14. In another embodiment, the flexible covering material and the inner partitioning divider sleeve may be a single piece of material or different pieces stitched (or otherwise) connected. The inner partitioning divider sleeve 50 may comprise additional partitioning divider panels within the inner partitioning divider sleeve 50 to form golf club receiving apertures. Additional cover material for covering the partitioning dividers 18 may be connected, such as by stitching, hook and loop connectors, or other connectors, for example, to the partitioning divider panels. For the top member shown in FIG. 2 may comprise partitioning dividers within the inner partitioning divider sleeve 50 dividing the inner partitioning sleeve 50 into 14 club receiving apertures. The inner partitioning divider sleeve 50 may comprise any number of golf club receiving apertures or may not comprise any further dividers within the sleeve 50. The top member sub-assembly 60 may further comprise an intermediate member 40 for connecting the top member sub-assembly 60 to a lower portion of the golf bag such as but not limited to a bottom collar. The bottom portion of the golf bag may comprise connectors capable of connecting to the connectors 40 a on the intermediate member 40.

Embodiments of the method may further comprise inserting a top collar attached to a golf bag enclosure into the recess and permanently connecting the top collar to the top member. The method may result in a top member assembly as shown in FIG. 4.

The embodiments of the golf bag, golf bag top member, golf bag top member covering and methods of producing a golf bags are not limited to the particular embodiments, components, method steps, and materials disclosed herein as such components, process steps, and materials may vary. Moreover, the terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing exemplary embodiments only and the terminology is not intended to be limiting since the scope of the various embodiments of the present invention will be limited only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Therefore, while embodiments of the invention are described with reference to exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that variations and modifications can be effected within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Accordingly, the scope of the various embodiments of the present invention should not be limited to the above discussed embodiments, and should only be defined by the following claims and all equivalents. 

1. A golf bag, comprising: a top collar attached to a flexible enclosure; a top member comprising a peripheral structure, wherein the peripheral structure comprises an inner wall and an outer wall; and a flexible covering material inserted between the inner wall and the outer wall, wherein the flexible material is wrapped around the outer wall and at least a portion of the inner wall.
 2. The golf bag of claim 1, comprising at least one stiffening member attached to one end of the flexible material.
 3. The golf bag of claim 2, wherein the stiffening member is a plastic strip.
 4. The golf bag of claim 3, wherein the stiffening member is molded plastic.
 5. The golf bag of claim 3, wherein the stiffening member is plastic sheet.
 6. The golf bag of claim 2, wherein the stiffening member is inserted between the inner wall and the outer wall.
 7. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein the flexible covering material comprises at least one of nylon, polyester, nylon/polyester blends, ripstop nylon, plastic, leather, synthetic leathers, woven materials such as cotton, canvas, or woven synthetics.
 8. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein the flexible covering material is not between the top collar and an outer surface of the inner wall.
 9. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein the top collar is stitched to the flexible enclosure.
 10. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein the top collar comprises a flexible, resilient plastic.
 11. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein the flexible enclosure comprises a material selected from nylon, polyester, nylon/polyester blends, ripstop nylon, plastic, leather, synthetic leathers, woven materials such as cotton, canvas, or woven synthetics.
 12. The golf bag of claim 11, wherein top member comprises at least one divider partition.
 13. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein the peripheral structure has a closed shape.
 14. The golf bag of claim 13, wherein the closed shape is one of circular, oval, substantially triangular, rectangular, or asymmetrically shaped.
 15. The golf bag of claim 13, wherein the peripheral structure comprises a rigid plastic.
 16. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein the inner wall and outer wall define a recess between them.
 17. The golf bag of claim 16, wherein the flexible covering material comprises a stiffening member and the stiffening member is received within the recess.
 18. The golf bag of claim 1, wherein the inner wall and outer wall are connected to form a top edge of the peripheral structure.
 19. The golf bag of claim 18, wherein the inner wall is longer than the outer wall
 20. A golf bag top member, comprising: a peripheral structure, wherein the peripheral structure comprises an inner wall and an outer wall; and a flexible material inserted between the inner wall and the outer wall, wherein the flexible material is wrapped around the outer wall and at least a portion of the inner wall.
 21. The golf bag of claim 20, comprising at least one stiffening member attached to one end of the flexible material.
 22. The golf bag of claim 21, wherein the stiffening member is a plastic strip.
 23. The golf bag of claim 22, wherein the stiffening member is molded plastic.
 24. The golf bag of claim 22, wherein the stiffening member is plastic sheet.
 25. The golf bag of claim 21, wherein the stiffening member is inserted between the inner wall and the outer wall.
 26. The golf bag of claim 20, wherein the flexible covering material comprises at least one of nylon, polyester, nylon/polyester blends, ripstop nylon, plastic, leather, synthetic leathers, woven materials such as cotton, canvas, or woven synthetics.
 27. The golf bag of claim 20, wherein the flexible covering material is not between the top collar and an outer surface of the inner wall. 